1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool cleaning device for a machine tool using a robot and a detecting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in a machine tool, cutting fluid is provided to a tool knife edge from an outside during machining, and a chip generated during the machining is removed. However, the chip may be twined around and adhered to the tool knife edge because of the shape of the chip generated during the machining. Further, a chip amount may be gradually increased and stored as a machining number is increased.
Further, the chip generated during the machining is scattered in the machine tool and moved toward a tool knife edge of a standby tool held by a tool magazine, and the chip may be adhered to the tool knife edge due to viscosity of the cutting fluid, and also in this case, the chip amount adhered to the tool knife edge of the standby tool may be gradually increased and stored as the machining number is increased. When the machining is started in a state in which the chip is adhered to the tool knife edge of the tool, various undesirable matters may be occurred, for example workability is deteriorated, or since the chip is rotated together with the tool during the machining, a machining work is damaged. Generally, a removing operation of such a chip adhered to the tool knife edge is needed to be performed by hands of an operator.
On the other hand, a system which controls a direction and a position of a cleaning device attached to a robot is proposed. In the prior art, by moving the cleaning device inside the machine tool, the chip can be removed across a wide region inside the machine tool.
In JP 2009-113182 A discloses an automatic cleaning device for a machine tool in which an air nozzle which removes a chip or cutting oil scattered during machining of a work toward outside of the machine tool by means of an air blowing is movable independently against a movement of a spindle head and movable relatively against the work in three directions orthogonal to each other. Further, JP 2001-322049 A discloses a device which sucks and discharges a chip by controlling a cleaning robot. The cleaning robot having a nozzle, which sucks the chip, arranged at a tip of an arm is arranged on a movable body such as a cross rail or a spindle head of the machine tool, and in the device, a moving path in which the nozzle can suck the chip while moving is designed and only a path data of an interference region excluding a region in which the nozzle interferes with the machining tool is output in a time defined by a machining program for machining a work by the tool in order to control the cleaning robot. Further, JP 2001-038588 A discloses a means for automatically cleaning a tool by arranging the tool in a tool preparing part provided together with a tool magazine and injecting a cleaning agent from the nozzle.
The cleaning robots described in the background of the invention are operated in accordance with a predetermined program and therefore an actual storing state of the chip is not considered. Accordingly, the cleaning may be performed more than necessary, or the next machining may be performed in a state in which the chip is still remained.